The Museum of Modern Art / Souvenir shop

LocationDubrovnik

InvestorThe Museum of Modern Art Dubrovnik

Year2017.

Area70 m²

StatusIn process

The Museum of Modern Art Dubrovnik was founded in 1945. It is located in Ploče neighbourhood, in the former residential and representative palace of Dubrovnik ship-owner Božo Banac, which was designed by distinguished Croatian architects Lavoslav Horvat and Harold Bilinić in Neo-Renaissance and Gothic style, modelled after the masterpieces of the Renaissance urban and countryside architecture of Dubrovnik and combined with the elements of modern architecture. The palace is a protected monument of culture and has a very rich and valuable collection of 2449 art pieces. The collection of modern art, which includes art pieces from the end of the 19th century to World War II, mostly includes artists connected with the area of Dubrovnik.
The existing exhibition and sales area, situated in the entrance area, had to be redefined and harmonised with the contemporary needs of the Museum and the wish of the visitors to remember the importance and significance of the Museum by purchasing a cup or a postcard showing a work of art. Since the entrance area has a tall arched space which follows a monumental atrium with high arches, we wanted to emphasize the importance of architecture of the building and its cultural purpose with the new design of the souvenir shop.

The motif for the design is the result of the research of the Dubrovnik circle of artists, especially Ivo Dulčić’s oeuvre, whose works show exceptional verticality and clear brush strokes. Aware of the monumentality of the atrium, we also wanted to emphasize the greatness and the importance of the space through the exhibition and sales element of the east wall. We shaped the space as a mural painting, the wall painted with souvenirs inspired by gallery exhibitions and collections. The shaping of the exhibition and sales area evokes the elements from Dulčić’s oeuvre, expressed verticality with periodical curves, which are harmonised with the space of the Museum and the existing elements in the interior.